Method and apparatus for displaying television programs and related text

Abstract

A television viewer uses a PIP format for display of program related information such as television program listings from a program schedule data base in the background and moving, real time or stored video clip images of a program selected from the displayed listings in the PIP window. All the text of the background information lies outside the PIP window. In one embodiment, as the viewer selects a particular program from the display of current television program listings by means of a cursor or a code number, the corresponding program automatically appears in the PIP window.

1 - 30 . (canceled)  
     
     
         31 . A system comprising: 
 a video display;    a video signal tuner;    a memory that stores program listings for a plurality of television programs;    means for displaying a plurality of program identifiers, each related to one of the program listings, in a schedule area of the video display;    means for displaying a cursor highlighting a first program identifier in the schedule area;    means for displaying substantially all of an image output by the video signal tuner in a video area of the video display; and    means for displaying in a description area of the video display, additional information from the program listing related to the first program identifier highlighted by the cursor in the schedule area, wherein the additional information comprises information not in the first program identifier, and wherein the plurality of program identifiers, the image output by the video signal tuner and the additional information are simultaneously displayed.    
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31  wherein each of the program identifiers includes at least a program title.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising: 
 a user input; and    means for moving the cursor in the schedule area, based on input received from the user input, to highlight a second program identifier and automatically change the additional information in the description area to additional information from the program listing identified by the second program identifier.    
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising: 
 a user input; and    means for controlling the video signal tuner to automatically tune to the channel of the program corresponding to the program identifier highlighted in the schedule area by the cursor in response to movements of the cursor in the schedule area, based on input received from the user input.    
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 31  further comprising: 
 means for controlling the video signal tuner not to change tuning when the cursor in the schedule area is moved from highlighting a first program identifier to highlighting a second program identifier.    
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 31  to  35  in which the means for displaying additional information displays the description area such that the description area does not significantly overlap the video area.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 31  wherein all of the image output by the video signal tuner is displayed in the video area of the video display.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the schedule area does not overlap the video area.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 31  in which the means for displaying additional information displays the description area such that the description area does not significantly overlap the schedule area.  
     
     
         40 . A method for using a video display, a video signal tuner and a memory, comprising: 
 storing program listings for a plurality of television programs in the memory;    displaying a plurality of program identifiers, each related to one of the program listings, in a schedule area of the video display;    displaying a cursor highlighting a first program identifier in the schedule area;    displaying substantially all of an image output by the video signal tuner in a video area of the video display, the video area being arranged so that the schedule area does not significantly overlap the video area; and    displaying in a description area of the video display, additional information from the program listing related to the first program identifier highlighted by the cursor in the schedule area, wherein the additional information comprises information not in the first program identifier, and wherein the plurality of program identifiers, the image output by the video signal tuner and the additional information are simultaneously displayed.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  wherein the program identifiers include at least a program title.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising: 
 moving the cursor in the schedule area, based on input received from a user input, to highlight a second program identifier and automatically change the additional information in the description area to additional information from to the program listing identified by the second program identifier.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising: 
 controlling the video signal tuner to automatically tune to the channel of the program corresponding to the program identifier highlighted in the schedule area by the cursor in response to movements of the cursor in the schedule area, based on input received from a user input.    
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising: 
 controlling the video signal tuner not to change tuning when the cursor in the schedule area is moved from highlighting a first program identifier to highlighting a second program identifier.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 40  in which displaying additional information displays the description area such that the description area does not significantly overlap the video area.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 40  wherein displaying substantially all of the image output by the video signal tuner comprises displaying all of the image output by the video signal tuner.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 40  wherein displaying substantially all of an image output by the video signal tuner in a video area of the video display such that the schedule area does not significantly overlap the video area comprises displaying the schedule area such that the schedule area does not overlap the video area.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 40  in which displaying additional information displays the description area such that the description area does not significantly overlap the schedule area.